Preview: RSL at Seattle Sounders FC

Claret-and-Cobalt aim to clinch top-three seed in West

October 16, 2012

RSL Communications

RealSaltLake.com

SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake (17-11-4, 55 points, West #2) will take on Seattle Sounders FC (14-7-10, 52 points, West #3) in a match rife with postseason implications on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at CenturyLink Field in the Pacific Northwest. The game – which will kickoff at 8:00 p.m. MT – will be broadcast nationally on the NBC Sports Network as well as on ESPN700AM and La Gran D 102.3FM/Juan 1600AM.

RSL heads into Wednesday’s penultimate match of the MLS regular season on an absolute tear, winners of its last four matches and 6-1-1 in its last eight across all competitions. The Claret-and-Cobalt – which has conceded just three goals in its last 720 minutes in MLS and CCL play – defeated the L.A. Galaxy in its last match, getting two goals from FW Fabian Espindola to down the Southern California side 2-1 at the Home Depot Center on Oct. 6.

Real Salt Lake currently sits in second-place in the Western Conference, three points up on third-place Sounders FC and five points up on fourth-place L.A. The Claret-and-Cobalt needs just two points from its remaining two regular season games to clinch a top-three seed in the Western Conference and avoid the 4-v-5 seed one-off knockout game. A L.A. loss or tie in either of its final two games would also give RSL a spot in the West’s top-three.

Real Salt Lake is 1-0-1 against Seattle this season, defeating Sounders FC 1-0 at CenturyLink Field on May 12 and tying the Cascadia club 0-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium on July 4.

Both teams will be missing players on Wednesday night due to international duty. RSL will definitely be without leading-scorer Alvaro Saborio (Costa Rica) and MF Will Johnson (Canada), both of whom are expected to play for the respective national teams in World Cup Qualifying matches in Central America on Tuesday. Seattle won’t have DF Adam Johansson (Sweden) or MF Mario Martinez (Honduras), who will face off against Johnson in a qualifier in San Pedro Sula on Tuesday.

It’s unclear whether or not RSL American internationals Kyle Beckerman or GK Nick Rimando will be available on Wednesday. Both players – along with Seattle’s U.S. international Eddie Johnson – will be in Kansas City for Tuesday’s U.S.-Guatemala qualifier and all three will fly to Seattle on a private plane chartered by RSL ownership immediately after the match. Each player’s availability for Wednesday’s game will be dictated by their involvement in Tuesday’s qualifier.

Real Salt Lake will follow up Wednesday’s game at Seattle with a hugely important CONCACAF Champions League match against Costa Rican champs C.S. Herediano at Rio Tinto Stadium on Oct. 23. The Claret-and-Cobalt must win that match either 1-0 or by two goals to win CCL Group 2 and advance to the tournament’s Quarterfinal stage.

Tickets to the Herediano match, the Oct. 27 season finale against Vancouver and to the MLS Cup Playoffs are on sale and can be purchased online at www.RealSaltLake.com, at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office or by calling (801) 727-2700.

Stay tuned to www.RealSaltLake.com and follow the club on Twitter @RealSaltLake for all the latest news and information on the team ahead of the Oct. 17 match in Seattle.

Following is the link to the Adobe PDF version of the Game Guide in advance of Wednesday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders FC. If you have any problems obtaining the document, would prefer to receive it as an attachment, or are seeking more information on the match, please contact Media Services Manager Sam Stejskal in the RSL Communications Department via email at sstejskal@realsaltlake.com.

RSL leads its all-time series with Sounders FC 3-2-3. RSL has done very well at Seattle, posting a 2-1-1 record in the regular season in the Pacific Northwest. That 2-1-1 regular season mark at Seattle is the best of any team in MLS.

Real Salt Lake is 1-0-1 against Sounders FC this year. The Claret-and-Cobalt took the first meeting, getting a 50th minute goal from FW Fabian Espindola to down Seattle 1-0. The teams drew in their second-match, playing to a scoreless draw at Rio Tinto Stadium on July 4.